Adjusting means for control surfaces



Nov. 2, 1937. I; I. SIKORSKY 2,097,990

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR CONTROL SURFACES Filed Sept. 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 22 l4 I0 I22 /20 I6 c G H U r: o 4 o o o o o o o 5 INVENTOR. [501? [.51KDR5KY ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1937. l. SIK ORSKY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR CONTROL SURFACES Filed Sept. 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I50 I SJKUREKY Nov. 2, 1937. l. SIKORSKY 2,097,990

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR CONTROL SURFACES Filed Sept. 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. I501? LSIYKURQQW A TTORNEY Nov. 2, 1937. I. L SIKORSKY 2,097,990

ADJUSTING MEANS WE! @(EDNIIBQL SURFACES Filed Sept. 5,, 11955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 2, 1937. 1. 1. SIKORSKY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR CONTROL SURFACES Filed Sept. 5, 1935 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INV ENTOR.

01"]. Q'Xarsiky aw *9. M ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1937 i I UNITED STATES PATENT orrics ADJUSTING MEANS FOR CONTROL sum FACES Igor I. Sikorsky} Trumbull, Conm, assignor to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn., a company of Delaware Application September 5, 1935, Serial No. 39,245

s Claims. (Cl. 244-87) This invention relates to improvements in adsurface adjusting means illustrated in Fig. 6, lusting means forv control surfaces and has parcertain elements thereof being omitted tosimplify ticular reference to means for adjusting the stathe illustration.

V bilizing surfaces of airplanes. Referring to the drawings in detail, Fig. 1 illus- One object of the invention resides in the protrates a suitable airplane to which the device of vision of a construction by means of which the the invention may be applied, in this instance control surfaces may be easily and quickly ada multi-motored flying .boat. It is to be underjusted by means of a remote control. stood however that the device of the invention A further object resides in the provision of a is not limited to the type of airplane illustrated,

construction by means of which both the control but may be appliedto any airplane having a 10 surface, such as the stabilizer of .an airplane, braced stabilizer. The airplane illustrated comand the bracesused to reinforce such a control prises a hull I0 upon which ismounted a wing l2 surface may be simultaneously adjusted by a by means of a suitable tower support I4, and an single remote control device such as'a hand wheel empennage, generally indicated at l6, which is or lever located in the operating compartment of mounted upon the hull ill by a tower support l8, lo the airplane. similar in general form to the tower support l4.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed The ship is powered by a plurality of wing carried out hereinafter or will become apparent as the engines as indicated at 20, and the hullcontains description proceeds. a pilots cabin 22 and a passenger compartment I 30 In the accompanying drawings in which like 24 between the pilot's cabin and the empennage reference numerals are usedto designate similar It.

parts throughout, there is illustrated a suitable The empennage generally indicated at [6 commechanical embodiment of what is considered prises a horizontal stabilizer 26 upon the upper to be the preferred form of the invention and surface of which are mounted a pair of vertical one somewhat modified form thereof. The drawstabilizers 28 and 30 which are braced in position ings however are for the purpose of illustration upon the horizontal stabilizer by suitable brace only and are not to be taken as limiting the invenmembers as indicated at 32. These vertical station the scope ofwhich is to be measured entirely bilizers 26 and carry hinged rudder members by the scope of the appended claims. 34 and 36 respectively to assist in steering the ship 30 In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view when in flight. The horizontal stabilizer 26 is 30 of an airplane having control surfaces, a portion provided with a pair of elevator surfaces one of of the airplane being broken away to illustrate which is indicated at 38, for steering the ship in its the application thereto of a part of the device of vertical movements. 9 As mentioned above, the the invention. empennage which comprises the horizontal sta-.

3.; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear portion bilizer 26, the vertical stabilizers 26 and 30, the of thehull or fuselage and the empennage of an vertical rudders 34 and 36, and the elevators, airplane showing the control. surfaces and suitis secured upon the hull by means of the tower able braces for reinforcing such control surfaces. support l8. In order to provide for angular ad- Flg. .3 is a side elevational view on an enlarged justment of the horizontal stabilizer 26 to com- 40 scale of a suitable hand wheel and power transpensate for variations in the load. distribution in 40 mitting means for adjusting the control surfaces the airplane and maintain the tendency of the illustrated in Fig. 2. airplane to fly on an even keel, the stabilizer is Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the hand hinged to the tower support by a suitable longiwheel and power transmitting means illustrated tudinal hinged connection 40. 4.3 in Fig. 3. a a In order to maintain the horizontal stabilizer 5 Fig. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale 26 in longitudinal parallelism with the wing I2, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing a portion of the stabilizer is braced to the hull by two sets the frame of the fuselage or hull and the conof suitable braces asindicated at 42 and 44. Each struction. of the control surface adjusting means. set of braces 42 and 44 comprisesa pair of similar Fig. 61s a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 showstrut members positioned one upon each side of 50 ing a modified form of control surface adjusting the hull l0 and located in a plane normal to the means, certain portions of the adjusting means longitudinal axis of the hull. The struts 42 are being broken away to better illustrate the consecured to the hull and to the horizontal stabilizer struction thereof. 26 by suitable pivotal conections as indicated at Fig. '7 is'a side elevational view of the control 46 and these brace members lie in a transverse 5 plane including the axis'oi the hinged connection justed to compensate for the changes in the posi-- I braced by means of the transverse members 58,

tion of the stabilizer relative to the hull.

' The stabilizer adjusting mechanism is particularly illustrated in Fig. 5. This figure illustrates a cross section of the framework of the hull at a station near the rear end thereof and shows the construction of the stabilizer adjusting means and the manner in which the adjusting means is mounted in the framework of the hull. In this .flgure the numeral 48 indicates the keel of the hullto which are connected the bottom ribs 50' -which in turn are united at their outer ends to the. ends of an inverted U shaped frame member 52." A pair of oppositely disposed frame stanchion' members 54 and 58 are connected at their lower ends to the lower portion of the U frame member 52 and extend upwardly above the U frame member to constitute an A frame to form one of the frame stanchions of the tower support I8. These major frame members are rigidly 60,- 82 and 64 and the diagonal members 66, 68, I and I2 reinforced at their adjoining ends by suitable means such as the gusset plates I4, 18, I8 and 80; r

. The stabilizer 28 is adjusted by means of a screw jack including a vertical axially movable tubular member "supported in verticalaxially aligned bearings 84, 86, 88 and 90 carried by the frame of the hull. The bearing 88 is supported by the transverse brace members 62 and 84 .and the diagonal members 10 and 12 upon the upper surface of the keel 48. The bearing 88 is supported by a gusset plate 92 secured to the diagonal members 88 and 88 at the point at which they cross each other. The bearing 88 is carried by the transverse members 58 and 60 and the bearing 90 is secured to the stanchion members 54 and 56 at the top of the A frame. The tubular member 82 is connected by means of a suitable pivotal hinge connection 94 to the undersurface of the horizontal stabilizer 26 at a location directly rearward of the hinge 40. Vertical movement of the member 82 to adjust the stabilizer 28 is imparted by means of a rotatable cylinder 98 mounted in suitable thrust bearings 98 provided in the bearing 88 and having internal screw threads I 00 which'cooperate with external screw threads I02 provided on a sleeve I04 secured upon that portion of the vertical member 82 included in and adjacent to the bearing 88. The rotatable pi' i rtion of the screw jack comprising the cylinder. 88 is rotated by a sprocket I06 which is connected by suitable means, presently to be described, with a remote control device located in thepilots cabin of the airplane. Above "the bearing 88 the sleeve I04 and a portion of .thetubular member 82 is covered by a sleeve I08 and below the bearing 88 the sleeve I04 and aportion oi the member 82 are covered by the sleeve IIO similar to the sleeve I08. The sleeves I08 and IIO ar provided to protect the screw.

threads I00 and I02 against the intrusion of foreign matter such as grit and moisture and also to provide a seal for lubricant so that the necessoonest 'ation of the screw threads I00 and I02 this rotation of the sprocket will move the tubular member 82 vertically up and down relative to the frame of the hull and will thereby operate the screw jack to adjust the horizontal stabilizer 26 to which it is attached by the hinged connection 84. about the hinge 40 to change the angular relation of the stabilizer to the hull.

The inner ends of the brace members 44 are not connected to the frame of the hull as are the ends of the brace members 42, but instead pass through the hull and are connected to the lower end of the member 82 by suitable means such as the bearing plates, one of which is indicated at II 2. Thus, when the member 82 is moved vertically to adjust the horizontal stabilizer the brace members 44 will be moved by the same amount,'thus maintaining constant the relation between the brace members and the stabilizer.

' The member 82 to which the struts 44 are attached is solidly supported in the hull by the bearings 84, 86, 88 and 80 so that it easily takes the loads imposed by the brace struts.

plate member II8 through the center of which I the brace 28 passes. The plate members as indicated at 8 are of a suificient length to completely cover the slots in any adjusted position of the brace members 44 and constitutes cover plates which at all times cover the openings through which thebrace members enter the hull.

The sprocket I 08 is rotated by a length of chain I20, the ends of which are connected to the ends of a cable I22 which is wound, intermediate its length, around a sheave I24 positioned below the floor of the pilot's cabin of the airplane. The cable I22 is led through suitable conduits past the passenger compartment 24 and through the rear portion of the hull to the sprocket I06 so that rotational movement imparted to the sheave I24 is transmitted to the sprocket to rotate the sprocket and thereby oper ate the. screw jack to adjust the angular relation of the empennage to the hull. The sheave I24 is mounted upon an axle I28 supported in suitable bearings as indicated at I28, I30 and I32 carried by the frame member I83 which is secured at its ends to the ribs of the hull, and to the floor I34 of the pilot's cabin. A pair of sprockets I36 and I38 are 'non-rotatably mounted at spaced points upon the axle I28 and are connected by :means of suitable chains I40 and I42 with sprockets I44 and I45 respectively. The sprockets I44 and I40 are mounted upon axles I48 and I50 supported in the upper portions of respective A frames I52 and I54 mounted upon the frame members I58 and I58 which support the inner sides of the pilots seats. Hand wheels I60 and I62 are mounted upon the inner or adjacent ends of the axles I48 and IE0 i I A aoomao tions I84 and I88 so that. the wheelsmay be moved relative to. the respectiveiA frames. I82

and I54 tb provide an increased. width of the passage between the wheels sothat the pilots may pass therebetween to the pilots seats. Each of the hand wheels I60 and I82 is provided with an indicator I68 and I10 respectively geared to the axles I48 and I50 for indicating the angular adjustment of theempennage.

. From the above description it will be observed that manual rotation of either of the hand wheels I80 'or I62 will be transmitted through the chains I40 and I42 and the sprocket 1I88or I88to the axle I28, from the axle I28-to the sheave I24,

and from the sheave through the cable I22 and chain I20 to the sprocket I08, and that by-this arrangement adjustment of the empennage may be easily and quickly obtained by the remote sheave, it is to be understood that the invention is.

not necessarily limited to this specific construction, but that other suitable forms of remote control may be utilized without exceeding the.

scope of the invention. A

- In the modified formot stabilizer adjusting device illustrated in Figsjfi and 7, power is transmitted from a suitable remote control device to a chain sprocket I12 non-rotatably secured upon a tubular member I14 by suitable meanssuch as the tapered pin I16. The tubular member I14 extends upwardly from the sprocket "2 through a bearing I18 supported upon a transverse frame member I80. Above the bearing I18 a sleeve I82 is secured upon the member I14 bya" suitable means such as the tapered pins I84. At its upper end the sleeve I82 isprovided withl a flanged cup portion I88 intothe flange portionof which are inserted a plurality of screws I88 having cylindrical heads. A member I80-provided with external screw threads I82 is connected to the member I14 by. means of a universal connection which comprises a plate I84 rigidly secured to the member I80 and having apertures in its outer edge which engage the cylindrical heads of the screws I88 and a self-aligning bearing I80disposed within the cup portionl86 of the member I88. A cap screw'200 is inserted through the;

inner race of the bearing i88 and screw threaded into the lower end of the member I80 to rigidly connect the member I80 towthe inner-[race oi the bearing.

' From this description it will notched plate I84 and. screws I88 and axial thrust .may be transmitted throughthe self-aligning bearing I 88 of theuniversal joint, the member I80 has a slight degree of freedom for angular movement with respect to the member I14. The members I14, I82 and I80 comprise the rotatable "portion oiKa stabilizer adjustingscrew jack, the axially movable portion of which comprises a l grooves and splines as indicated at 234. beobserved that.

while rotational force may be transmitted from the member I10 to the member 1190 through the.

when the member I14 is rotated bythe sprocket I12 themember 204 will be adjusted upland 208 to adjust the angular relation of. the stabilizer 202 to the fuselageof which the frame 2I8 forms a part, to compensatefor variations in the loading of the vehicle to which thestabilizer adjusting mechanism is attached.

. At its lower end the member I14 receives a hollow :bearing plug 2I2 which is rotatably mounted -by means of an antifriction thrust bearing 2 in an aperture 2|8 provided in the upper portion of a gear box 2I8 securedto the lowerportion of the frame 2I0. I r 1 As, described above. the stabilizer 202 is reinforced by one or more sets of braces, one set of which lies substantially ina plane transverse tothe fuselage or hull of the vehicle which plane contains the axis of the members 14 and i 204. This last mentioned set of braces comprises a pair of struts one of which is indicated at 220 each having one end pivotally connected to the undersurface of the stabilizer in alignment with the universal connection 208 and having its opposite ,end plvotally connected to a member carried by the fuselage frame. It is obvious that as the stabilizer adjusting screw jack is expanded or contracted the length of the brace struts referred to or the location of the connection of such struts to thefuselage frame must be simultaneously adjusted to accommodate the struts to the changed position .of the undersurface of the stabilizer. This adjustment can be accomplished either by changing the location of the connection between the struts and the supporting member carried by the fuselage frame, as already explained in the description of Fig. 5, or by changing the length of the struts rather than by changing the location of their connection to the fuselage frame.

As a suitable method of changing the length of the struts, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the struts 220 are pivotally connected to the outer ends of tubular members 222 and 224 which extend from a position at the lower central portion of the interior of the fuselage upwardly and outwardly to the exterior of the fuselage. As the construction of both of the strut adjusting members is the same, itis believed that a description of only one is sufflcient for the purpose of this disclosure. The tubular member 224 is slidably supported in a sleeve bearing 280 secured to the frame by a suitable bracket 282, an opposite tubular member 222 beingsupported in a similar sleeve bearing 220 secured to the frame by a bracket 228. The tubular members are restrained against rotation in the bearing sleeves 200 and 228 by longitudinal The tubularmember 224 telescopically receives at its inner end" a hollow, substantially cylindrical member 238 provided intermediate its length with a radial flange 288 and provided interiorly thereof, in the portion between the flange and its inner end, with internal screw threads 240. A

plug member 242 having external screw threads 244 is screw threaded into the member 228 and is providedwith a reduced end-portion 248 upon 2I8 meshes withthe gear 288 and with a similar gear, not illustrated. operatively connected with the tubular member 222 so that, when the member I14 is rotated by the sprocket I12, the screw down by. the cooperating screwthreads I82 and threaded plug 282 and the similar plugopera- 70 the stabilizer 202.

sleeve 263 surround the inner end of the member tively associated with the tubular member 222 will be rotated in opposite directions and the cooperation of the screw threads 240 and 2 will move the members 222 and 224 in and out to adjust the length of the brace struts 220 to the changes in the position of the undersurface of A coiled compression spring 254 surrounds the member flll between the flange 238 and the gear box 2l8 to impose a resilient outward thrust on the member 224st all times, the purpose of this spring thrust being mainly to counteract the load of the empennage on the threads and bearings of the strut adjusting mechanism to relieve the friction on these movable parts and also to resiliently absorb, to some ex- 222. The gear box 2l8 is secured to the frame "member by suitable through bolts as indicated at262, suitable spacers 264 being interposed between the gear box and certain portions of the frame to reinforce the portion of the frame to-- which the gear boxis attached.

The sprocket H2 is rotated by a suitable remote control means'such as that described'in the explanation of Figs. 3 and 4, although a different be resorted to as come within the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is as follows: 1

What I claim is:

1. In an airplane, a fuselage, a stabilizer adjustably mounted on said fuselage, an extensible strut comprising a screw jack having an axially movable member and a rotatable member disposed between said fuselage and said stabilizer for adjusting said stabilizer, aset of braces extending from opposite sides of said stabilizer into said fuselage, and means operatively connected with the rotatable portion of said screw jack for adjusting the length of said braces to accommodate the braces to the various adjusted positions of the stabilizer.

. 2. In an airplane, a fuselage, a stabilizer ad-- justably mounted on said fuselage, an extensible strut comprising a screw jack'having an axially movable part and a rotatablepart in said fuselage disposed between asupporting portion of said fuselage and said stabilizer for adjusting said stabilizer, a set of braces extending from opposite sides of said stabilizerinto said fuselage, a fixed member in saidfuselage to which the inner ends of said braces are connected, a screw joint in each of said braces, and means operatively connecting the rotatable part of said screw jack with said screw joints to adjust the length of said braces to correspond to the various adjusted positions of said stabilizer.

'3. In an airplane,'a fuselage, a stabilizer adjustably mounted on said fuselage, a screw jack comprising an axially movable part and a rotatable part within saidfuselage for adjusting said stabilizer, a gearbox within said fuselage within which the rotatable part of said screw jack is supported against axial movement, a gear on said rotatable'part within said gear box, a set of braces extending from opposite sidesof said stabilizer to. said gear box, a screw joint in each of said braces for changing the length thereof to correspond with changes in the length of said screw jack, and a gear on each of said braces within said gear box meshing with the gear on the rotatable part of said screw jack to operate said screw joints simultaneously with the operation of said screw jack.

4. In an airplane, a fuselage, a stabilizer adjustably mountedon said fuselage, a screw jack comprising an axially movable member and a rotatable member in'said fuselage for adjusting said stabilizer, a fixed member within said fuselage for supporting said rotatable part against axial movement, a set ofbraces extending from opposite sides of said stabilizer to said fixed member, screw joints in said braces, means connecting said rotatable part with said screw joints for adjusting the length of said braces to correspond tochanges in the length of said screw jack, a radial flange on each of said braces, and a coiled compression springsurrounding each brace between said flange and, said fixed member to resiliently urge said braces outwardlywith respect to said fixed member.

5. In an airplane, a hull, a tower support on said hull, an empennage adjustably mounted on said tower support, a member extending-between said empennage and said fuselage including a screw jack comprising an axially movable memher and a rotatable member positioned within said hull for adjusting said empennagefa fixed member within said hull for restraining said rotatable member against axial movement, a set of braces extending from opposite sides of the undersurface of said empennage to said fixed member, and means operatively connected with the rotatable member of said screw jack for changing the length of said braces to correspond to changes in the length of said screw jack. --6. Incombination with an airplane body, a control surface hingedly connected to said body at the rear thereof, screw operated means for adjusting said control surface, a set of braces between saidcontrol surface and said body, means operated by said screw operated means for changing the length of said braces, and manually operable remote control means for operating said screw operated means and said brace length changingmeans to alter the setting of said control surface.

IGOR I. SIKORSKY. 

